Breaking J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Day 10: Don't Say

"I think we've got everything," I breathed out as I came out of the bedroom after I checked it for any belongings we might have forgotten.

Our bags were packed and ready to be taken out to the car, only remnants of our transformative days scattered around us. The air felt so much different than the day we first arrived. It was now charged with the mementos of the conversations we had, the laughter we shared, and the commitments we made.

I picked up a suitcase and the guitar case, ready to leave the cabin. Unfortunately, it seemed like I was the only one proactive in wanting to bring our things to the car. Jack stood frozen in the living room, watching me.

"Ready to go?" I asked, signalling that it was time for us to leave.

He hesitated and scratched his head. "I wanted to talk to you about something before we go."

I set the bags back down, my heart dropping just a little, but wanting to come over nonchalant. "Sure, what's up?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out my ring. The sight of it brought back a flood of memories and emotions, both joyous and painful.

"I want you to have this back," he mumbled.

I instinctively reached out for it, but paused and retracted my hand. The delicate band glistened in the light, just like it had done that day in the jewellery store in Vegas. It symbolised such a simple promise back then: to figure things out. Jack extended his hand, offering the ring despite my wavering.

"I don't know if I can take it..." I admitted, my gaze fixated on the symbol of our commitment.

His expression shifted, first to worry and then to one of understanding. "I want you to have it back. Not as a demand or an expectation, but as a choice. A choice to carry a piece of us forward."

I sighed, a knot in my throat already forming. "But I broke my promises. I didn't stand by your side no matter what."

"Jacie," he frowned, shocked by my statement, "that's not true at all."

I looked up into his eyes, my heart hurting. "I don't think you realise how close I was to leaving even after my walk that first day."

"Jace–"

"I took it off because I knew I couldn't keep the promises it represents."

"But you stayed," he told me.

The weight of my own admission sank in. "I stayed, but I didn't stay unconditionally. I had doubts, Jack. I had doubts about us, about you, about me."

His eyes searched mine, a new kind of pain in his gaze. "We were both navigating something we've never had to navigate before. It doesn't mean you broke any promises. We were finding our way back to each other."

"But this ring represents more than just staying. It represents unwavering commitment, and I took it off. I don't think I can wear it again."

He took a step closer, still holding out the ring for me to take. "We've made so many new promises this past week and a half. Our rings have always represented our ever changing promises. Hell, we don't even know what our original promises were."

"You make it sound so simple." I breathed out heavily.

"Fuck no, it's not simple. Nothing about this is simple," he almost exclaimed like he'd been offended by my words, but calmed his voice. "But it's our story, our journey. We learn, we grow, and we keep moving forward."

I continued to hesitate, the internal struggle evident on my face. "Can we really move forward?"

"Isn't that what we've been doing here?" Jack gestured around the cabin, encompassing the memories and breakthroughs we'd experienced. "We faced our past, confronted our fears, and now, we're taking those lessons with us.."

He must have noticed my inability to come up with another argument, because he slowly got down on one knee, holding the ring out between the tips of his fingers.

"Jack, you can't keep proposing to me the rest of our lives," I exhaled, still feeling like I didn't deserve that ring.

"I can and I will," he corrected. "Because every time I do, it's a choice. A choice to love you, to be with you, and to face whatever comes our way. This ring is not about the past. It's about now and the future. And I choose you, every single day."

I bit my lip, contemplating his words. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and slip the ring back onto my finger. But it didn't feel like I was its rightful home anymore. I could feel my eyes starting to water, but I didn't want to cry. I'd done enough of that already.

When I didn't answer, he continued, "wearing it means acknowledging everything that happened: the pain, the healing, and the love that endured it all. It's a symbol of our journey, not just the destination."

Jack held the ring closer to my face, his eyes searching mine for any sign of acceptance. As I stared at it, I felt a whirlwind of emotions rushing through me. Could I truly wear it again? Would slipping it back on mean blindly accepting the past? Or could it symbolise our renewed commitment to our present and future?

"Jacie," Jack whispered, his voice a gentle plea, "I'm not asking you to forget. The ring doesn't erase the challenges we faced; it's the strength it took to overcome them."

I took a deep breath, feeling how bare my finger was without it. The choice was all mine, and the weight of it settled on my shoulders.

He continued, his gaze unwavering, "it's a promise that we'll face whatever comes together, just like we did now, even if there are hiccups in the way. Nothing's ever perfect."

I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping to grapple with the inner turmoil. Every conversation we had flashed through my mind again. The way we finally breached the issue, searching for what we were, and rediscovering each other. When I opened my eyes again, Jack's earnest expression softened my apprehension further.

With a shaky breath, I extended my hand, and he carefully slid the ring onto my finger.

"There," he said softly with a tender smile on his lips. "Our story officially continues."

I looked at the ring now resting where it belonged as he stood back up. It felt both familiar and new, like it held our past and shone bright for our future. I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could, burying my face into the crook of his neck.

As I held him, I whispered, my voice slightly muffled by the embrace, "I love you, Jack."

He tightened his arms around me, the warmth of his presence a comforting anchor. "I love you too, Jacie."